This invention relates in general to a method and system for crimping an elongated malleable metal connector onto two cables or the like, and in particular to deforming the connector so that in its final crimped condition it is of a generally semi-cruciform/semi-circular shape in transverse cross-section.
Conventional crimping devices available in the art, particularly in the electrical industry, have had several serious short comings. The prior art devices for the most part have been of three basic types; a one hand or plyer type, a two hand bolt cutter, and a two hand hydraulic type. The one hand or plyer type generally contains integral dies for a given external connector configuration while the bolt cutter and hydraulic types generally have provisions for interchangeable dies for any given external connector configuration. Prior devices for the most part have therefore been dependent on the multiplicity of die and connector sizes for compression of a narrow range of conductor sizes. In addition, the tools of the prior art which have provided a four way crimp are limited as to the wire sizes they can crimp in a single piece, parallel tap connector. Correspondently, this necessitates the use of independently crimped main and tap grooves for many popular conductor sizes. This limitation results in connector designs which cause an increase in installation time due to the independent crimping of the main and tap portions of the connectors.
A unique compression tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,981 issued to McDurmont. This patent discloses a tool having a head with four opposed crimping dies aligned with a common center. When a connector is placed between the dies the dies move inward and crimp the connector about a cable. A cross-section of the crimped connector is of a general cruciform shape. The unique tool is suitable for compressing single connectors about a single cable, however, there exists a need for crimping a connector having two portions, such as two parallel cylinders, about two cables. This is needed in the case where a tap line is connected to a main continuous conductor. The present invention provides a novel compression tool which is an improvement of a compression tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,981. The following U.S. patents illustrate aspects of the prior art which have been discussed above:
______________________________________ 3,871,224 2,838,970 3,423,987 2,900,854 3,051,213 3,212,317 1,359,013 2,814,222 2,762,414 3,199,336 3,919,877 3,576,122 3,031,001 3,871,224 ______________________________________
The relevance of the prior art indicated in the present specification should not be given a limited interpretation. A cited prior art item may be found to have relevance in a passage other than the one referred to, or to have relevance in a sense different than as stated.